Melon

MELON (אֲבַטִּיחַ, H19). Numbers 11:5—“We remember...the melons.” Does this refer to sweet melon or watermelon? Both grew in Egypt; both were delicious, and would have been invaluable in the wilderness. The word is used in the pl., so it could have been both! The watermelon is Citrullus vulgaris; the sweet melon, Cucumis melo. A good watermelon could weigh thirty lbs., and a large sweet melon six to seven lbs.